Explores the development of drawing abilities in 185 children of 5-10 years and 27 adults. Even the youngest children were able to judge the correct age sequence of drawings at above chance levels. However, their rankings were more erroneous than those of older children and of adults. (RJC)

Criticizes the approach towards literacy taken by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. in "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know." Compares Hirsch's list of "What Literate Americans Know" with lists in books on trivia. Expresses concern about the narrow sense in which Hirsch conceives context in relationship to literacy. (LS)

Data from 44 boys and 39 girls of 27-63 months of age indicated that children's gender schematization and other cognitive gender schema factors were significantly associated with accuracy in attributing gender-role stereotypes to males and females. (RH)

Explored the level of scientific knowledge regarding sexuality and contraception of Black and Hispanic inner-city adolescents. Results indicated that Hispanic males were the most knowledgeable, Hispanic females the least, and Black males and females were intermediate. A cultural basis for this difference is considered, and the need to design…

The article reports research supporting a view which sees learning disabilities as resulting from the interplay between a poorly elaborated knowledge base (especially in language related domains), the biologically determined efficiencies of such processes as encoding, and the physical and social meaning attached to performance (i.e. the context).…

A survey examining health and physical education teachers' physical activity levels, health and physical fitness knowledge, and lifestyle characteristics indicated that the subjects highly regarded positive lifestyle habits and good health practices, consistently demonstrated participation in physical activities on a regular basis, and appeared to…

Results of the comparison of metacomponential functioning and knowledge acquisition of adults with either mild mental retardation or learning disabilities found that (1) knowledge base is the best predictor of metacomponential skill, (2) metacomponential orchestration differentiates the two groups, and (3) IQ mediates metacognition, but does not…

Assessed students' (N=198) knowledge of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) specific facts, their attitudes toward people with AIDS, and their general attitudes toward homosexual men and lesbian women. Found most subjects accurately informed on the subject of AIDS. Most held neither negative views toward homosexuality nor punitive views…

Collected data from 189 adolescents applying for outpatient drug treatment, and separately from their mothers. Results indicated that mothers' information about adolescent's drug use was neither very complete not accurate. Adolescents reported significantly more use of alcohol, but significantly less problem with alcohol use than did mothers.…

To apply four principles of Teaching for Understanding framework developed at Harvard University, researchers worked with team of four teachers at two Massachusetts high schools. One history teacher revised Industrial Revolution unit to emphasize human progress. Mathematics teacher had students design a dance floor based on several different…

Most of a sample of 42 health care educators had limited knowledge of older persons' sexuality but positive attitudes about it. Older health care educators and educators who had participated in continuing education had more knowledge. Educators who rated themselves as more religious had more restrictive attitudes. (SK)

Twenty-nine high school students with mild disabilities were interviewed concerning their perceptions of their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Analysis showed that most students were unfamiliar with the IEP process and contributed little to it and that most IEPs were not individualized. Suggestions are presented for encouraging students…

Undergraduates (n=25) participated in a study designed to describe and evaluate the use of concept mapping in teaching a college course on evolution; determine whether students' concept maps reveal "critical junctures" in learning as the course unfolds; and assess the impact of concept mapping on students' study practices and on…

Explores and documents the frequencies of conceptual difficulties confronted by college students (n=200) seeking to understand the basic processes of cellular respiration. Findings suggest that novices harbor a wide range of conceptual difficulties that constrain their understanding of cellular respiration and many of these conceptual problems…

It is argued that point estimates of effect sizes and confidence intervals around these point estimates are more appropriate statistics for individual studies than reliance on statistical significance testing and that meta-analysis is appropriate for analysis of data from multiple studies. (SLD)